1. Technical Field
Various embodiments relate to a method and system for notifying a vehicle occupant of local, state, and national emergencies. The vehicle occupant may also respond to the emergency notifications. In some embodiments, the vehicle's location may be used to determine which notifications to present to the vehicle occupant.
2. Background Art
Alerting the public of emergencies, such as child abductions, weather-related emergencies, and public safety emergencies, is left to the local, state, and Federal governments to broadcast. Traditionally, such alerts were broadcasted through television and radio.
Various examples in the field exist that provide ways of broadcasting public emergencies. As one example, U.S. Publication No. 2009/0322560 to Tengler et al. discloses an in-vehicle alert delivery maximizing communications efficiency and subscriber privacy. Specifically, the publication discloses a system and method for enhancing subscriber privacy while delivering location-based in-vehicle alerts to the subscribers of a mobile traffic reporting system. This is accomplished by disassociating subscriber information from location information transmitted by a traffic probe vehicle. The in-vehicle alerts include flash flood alerts, hurricane alerts, amber alerts, as well as non-crisis alerts, such as traffic hotspots, locations of inexpensive gas stations, and various points of interest.
Another example is U.S. Publication No. 2009/0325538 to Sennett et al. disclosing a method for geo-targeting emergency alerts. The publication specifically discloses that geo-targeting may be used in combination with wireless alert capabilities to provide alerts to a more granulated geographical area. A system and method for performing geo-targeting for various alert areas is discussed in the publication such that emergency messages may be delivered to mobile and static devices of different types in a localized area. As an example offered in the publication, geo-targeting supports the delivery area for wireless emergency alerts by identifying the cell sites that are in a specified geographic area that have technology capable of delivering wireless emergency alerts. The components of the telecommunications system that support a wireless emergency alert system may be identified and mapped to any geographical area.
Another example is U.S. Publication No. 2007/0139182 to O'Connor et al. which discloses emergency communications for the mobile environment. The publication specifically discloses systems and methods for two-way, interactive communication regarding emergency notifications and responses for mobile environments. A specific geographic area is designated for selective emergency communications. The emergency communications may comprise text, audio, video, and other types of data. The emergency notification is sent to users' mobile communications devices such as in-vehicle telematics units, cellular phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), and laptops that are currently located in the designated area. The sender of the emergency message or the users' service provider(s) may remotely control cameras and microphones associated with the users' mobile communications devices. As an example offered in the publication, a rear camera ordinarily used when driving in reverse may be used to capture images and video that may assist authorities in searching for a suspect. The users' vehicles may send photographs or video streams of nearby individuals, cars and license plates, along with real-time location information, in response to the emergency notification. Image recognition algorithms may be used to analyze license plates, vehicles, and faces captured by the users' cameras and determine whether they match a suspect's description.
Another example is U.S. Publication No. 2007/0265768 to Brown, JR. disclosing a dash mounted or handheld audible-visual road advisory-information system device. The publication specifically discloses a dash mounted or handheld audible-visual road advisory-information system device for improving driver awareness and highway safety that outputs amber alert warning notices and highway advisory information. The device also provides a summary of businesses and contact numbers, operating hours, and detailed summaries of business services, special sales and advertisements which are found-located on a highway and at a highway exit. The information is presented in electronic voice through speaker and in text on display screen mounted either on the dash of a vehicle, built inside a vehicle radio, or a portable-mobile handheld device.